Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-09-16
ROGER LAROQUE.
Adapted and Translated from the French
of Jules Mary.
BY OLIVE HARPER.

bI OI1VE hAhTEh
She left the store first for fear of observa-
ton in so crowded place. Yet. with all her
precaution, a man followed her home, and
when she had gone up stairs to her apart
ments he asked the porter who it was, and he
answered readily and unsuspiciously, "Mme.
dc Noirville, the lawyers wife,
Fifteen days later Roger gave her the
money and she was saved.
Grave events took place in France at this
time War with Prussia was declared, and
ono day Roger Laroque and Lucien, to their
great surprise, found themselves engaged in
the same regiment, the Sixth cavalry. When
Roger met Lucien his first movement was to
draw back, but Lucien held out his hand joy
fully as if glad to see him there.
The life in common, the dangers and diff
culties surmounted together, tho thousand
painful incidents of the campaign, valiantly
borne, brought them together in spite of
Roger, who felt his conscience prick him at
every kind word and every grasp of the hand
Lucien gave him.
Roger felt every day growing deeper in his
heart singular sense Of need Of repairing by
some heroic action the wrong he had done
Lucien, as far Us it lay in human power, even
with his own blood. But Fate was inflexible
and favored Lucien alone, for one day IN a
reconnaissance Roger received a spent ball on
tho head, which rendered him insensible.
Balls whistled around them, and as he fell
those who saw him thought him dead The
dragons were approaching and the French
had to fly, but Lucien, who was strong,
seized Roger and laid him across his horse,
md squirting the poor creature followed his
comrades with his burden.
An hour later Roger regained conscious
ness and mounted his own horse, which had
followed the rest in their flight. Roger was
somber and shamed and his brows drawn as
he said:
II owe you my life. God is my witness
TINT stand ready to do for you as much and
more"
Lucien smiled and reached out his hand:
81 know you are, Roger. Let us say no more
nbout 1t. This is common to warfare"
Roger spoke no more, but grew more and
more somber and melancholy but his friend
ship for Lucien grew deeper and greater
Tho LIST Of September came. The battle Of
Sedan commenced with dawn Roger and
Lucen were in the heat of it, when an obus
burst, crushing both Llcien's legs. Witness
10 this dreadful wound Roger with his troops
NtIt ODllEcu W bullltlltAu WIN lllt
other refugees, almost wild with grief and
horror, and having before his eyes the specter
OF his dead friend
Roger hid under the ramparts OF Sedan,
and fell asleep from fatigue and slept until
evening fell, when he invoke and thought Of
Lucien "Poor friend!n said he. "He died
doing his duty; l must do mine. will find
him and bury him there, where he fell
toff lao oil v fhopoyh hrol-au tvitl
hunger and WEAKNESS, and with stick for
support took his way back to the battlefield.
After a long search lie found him lying upon
the ground with both legs crushed. But
Lucien's heart still beat family in spite of his
horrible wounds. Then Roger had hope.
If it were only possible to save himl He
heard voices and called loudly, and in
French he received his answer, and soon some
Of the cred Cross society with a stretcher
came. When lie showed them Iucien they
said:
"He is dying 1t is useless to move him"
"But he is not deadn
ave cannot save him. No one could;
and there are hundreds of others who are
wounded needing us now.n
But Roger duplicated them, and at last
they placed Lucien on the stretcher and took
him to the surgeons, who looked at him and
said:
at is useless to spend our time with him,
while we might save Others. He has but a
few minutes to liven
Desperate, Roger took his way to a surgeon
who lived in the city, and by dint Of prayers
gained permission to bring Lucien to his
house, and though he also considered the case
utterly hopeless, promised to do all he could
IN the forlorn hope of saving the wounded
man. Roger gave the doctor his own and
Lucien's address and what money he had,
md left The next morning he was prisoner
and was taken 10 Coblentz, where he was
kept for two months, when he escaped.
He wrote TO the doctor, but got no answer,
and he tried to get into Paris TO see his wife
and child, but uselessly so lie Joined the army
which was fighting at Loire. Again he was
taken prisoner, and again escaped. After
the commune he returned to Paris, and found
his wife and child well, though mourning him
for dead. At once he telegraphed TO Sedan
TO DIR. ChampeauX, who answered: "Noir-
willie out OF danger; amputated both legs:
shall accompany him 10 Paris In few days"
Soon after this he received a letter from
Lucien. "Dear friend,n it ran, II never
hopei 10 see you again. l am at Rue dc
Rome, but too weak yet to venture out Come,
want to sec you more than l can say. Your
mere than brother, LUCIENb
To go to Lucien was to see Julin again TO
place himself between her and that poor IT an,
that man to whom he was bound by the ties
of common danger and comrndeship, whom
he loved with u love passing that OF women,
and who was now chained down forever to
his chair. What should he dot How oscapei
After long struggle with himself he de
cided to CO. II will see julia said no, sand
have M explanation. She will understand
that there must be nothing more between us,
not even a smile, look, a clasp OF the hand.
Wrong as we were before, now it would be a
million fold more horrible"
So he went to see Lucien. Noirville was in
bis room, and 1t was julia who came to meet
him. She sprung forward, her hands OK
tended. Almost year had passed since she
had seen him, Her beauty was even greater,
more dazzling than before, prouder and more
imperious. But she loved Roger, and she
grew soft and womanly in his presence,
Roger bowed in respectful silence, not even |
offering his hand.
"Roserl Rogerln she said. allow much
have thought of you. How much l have
suffered"
She checked herself suddenly at the express
sion of unutterable horror depicted on his
face Then he spoke:
HJulia, we must bury tho past, and may God
pardon us. am the friend. the brother Of